The sail mount would be hard to reach and hard to see. I mounted my Humminbird 788ci FF/GPS combo on a Mad Frog's Liberator mount with a transducer arm. The Liberator arm is mounted to a Scotty FF mount that in turn goes in a Scotty clamp on mount that is attached to the side rail. I have four clamp on Scotty mounts, two on each side. Two are used for Scotty rod holders. One clamp on mount is not used so I just slip the hook remover in there. The battery is inside a Walmart waterproof plastic case, the wires go through a hole that is sealed with a grommet. The battery and case are next to the seat, no holes drilled anywhere for this set up. My PA is a 09, I don't think this set up would work for the newer PA's with the new style seat as the side rails are further behind the seat.

Mounted mine on the right side on the mounting board. Just at arms lenght for adjusting settings and so I can adjust if the sun reflects in the eyes. Tranducer is mounted inside the hull just behind the sail mast. Battery is stored in the front storage area with small hole cut into the linner to run the cable to the unit. Sorry no picts at this time.

i think i may be the black sheep with this, but after years of tournament fishing and light line angling it is just imbeded in my head. i just try to rig everything i possibly can, below the gunnels. on our tournament SKA boat we didn't even have bow rails, on my current lake and bay tournament boat, the platforms dont have so much as a toe-catcher, and in the kayaks, i feel the same way. i've had too many instances where a trophy or or money fish made a wild run under the bow or down the waterline, and anything in the way can catch a rod, or even worse, part a line. in this mindset, i prefer to mount the electronics below the gunnel line (or at least as low as i can). in the PA 14, the Lowrance Elite-5 DSI is mounted on a 1" Ram mount system, that ends up thru-bolted on the port side deck. Thru the center deck hatch there is ample room to locate and tighten the SS ny-lock nuts. in this position, it is close enough to be within reach for any adjustments, but is still low enough not to be in the way of rods, fishing line or the bag of the landing net. I prefer the Ram mount also, because it can be quickly adjusted where the Lowrance Elite-5 can be faced nearly face-down, and is then nearly completely out of sight, out of trouble and out of the way. This PA is a 2010 model, so the DSI transducer is epoxied to the hull just aft of the sail fitting, inside the forward hatch.

it may not be the most popular way, but for our needs, it's a sure thing.

I like simple. My Humminbird 170 is mounted in the sail mast hole with a Ram mount. I turn it on when I leave the dock and turn it off when I return. No need to change any settings the whole day. I have a 7 Ah RV battery that I bungee to the sail mast inside the deck, and my transducer is the flush-mount thru-hull unit that Humminbird offers as a free trade for the one that comes with the finder. It did require a two-inch hole in the hull, but with its rubber gasket and some Goop, it has never leaked a drop.

Get a Yakattack Rail mounted geartrack a track ball and a ram mount. It will put the DF right at your finger tips at your optimal spot, fully adjustable and removable. A little expensive but worth it. I have a Hummingbird 798 si that I remove after use with the transducer and it takes a minute or less to install or take off. I can also use it on my other kayak too.

Why? Because I keep the right side free to enter and exit the boat and in case I fell out I want that side free of obstructions to allow me to get back inside the boat. Ther is only one thing I have on the right side of the boat. I purchased an item to help me get back in the boat if I fell in the water. It is a short version of a ski rope. It has a handle you step on with a short rope (approx. three foot long) that has a loop on the other end. I attach that loop to the right front leg of the Vantage seat. It gives me something to help flip the boat upright if it was turtled and it allows me something to step on to help me push myself back in the boat. (I am not as young as I once was) I coil it up and keep it under the seat so it is always ready to go if I fell out of the boat.

I am also right handed. Why is that important? I use spinning reels with the handle on the left side. I also use left hand baitcast reels (even though I am right handed) because I feel a baitcast handle should be reeled by my weak hand. It makes no sense to me to change hands after you cast with your stong hand to then reel with your strong hand. I fight the fish with my stong (right) hand and take control of the fish with my weak (left) hand so I generally bring the fish in on the left (Port) side. Since I cast with my right hand I rarely have a rod in the right rear rod holder and I do not add a rod holder on the right rail because that would impede my casting.

If I were truly a left handed person I would move everything to the right side for the same reasons.

This is what I do and why.

_________________PA12 DuneThat is why they calling it fishing and not catching.

I also have mine on a Ram mount on the right side rail. Right or left side is a personal preference. I like to have one side clear of mounting "stuff" to make entry/re-entry from the left side. I do like the slide rail which allows me to adjust the position of the Chartplotter/sounder. Your Hobie dealer is a good source for slide rails and adjustable ram mounts.

Tim

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Fishing is not a matter of life or death... It's much more important than that!

Port siderail, on a Ram mount. I fish anywhere from 8 - 160 FOW in one outing, and frequently tweak my FF settings for the depth of water I am in, and my fishing method at the moment (trolling, jigging, drifting, etc). So it is very important to me that the FF be within easy reach. This does put it in the way when paddling in or out in water too shallow to drop the Mirage Drive, so I just loosen the ball and fold it down below the rail at those times. I also keep it folded down when transporting my PA14 to-and-from the launch. On a sidenote, I would recommend against the typical Goop through-the-hull transducer mount. Goop dries clear but then develops tiny bubles (becoming progressively opaque) with time. These bubbles impede the sonar and reduce sensitivity considerably. I am having good luck with a water mount, just ahead of the mast base. Put a tablespoon of water in the mount, drop the transducer in, and you are good for several days,

I am using a Lowrance Elite 4-DSI which is a smaller unit and thus weighs less.I used the 1.0" RAM ball but I wish the extension was longer than the approximate 2-3" that I have. I believe if I used a longer extension I would have needed the 1.5" ball mount. I am still very happy with what I have.

My conclusion is that you ned the 1.5" ball to support that much weight.

_________________PA12 DuneThat is why they calling it fishing and not catching.

I am using a Lowrance Elite 4-DSI which is a smaller unit and thus weighs less.I used the 1.0" RAM ball but I wish the extension was longer than the approximate 2-3" that I have. I believe if I used a longer extension I would have needed the 1.5" ball mount. I am still very happy with what I have.

My conclusion is that you ned the 1.5" ball to support that much weight.

That's good to hear because I just placed an order for the 1.5" wedge mount base for the sail mount, the 9" 'long arm' and the mounting plate for the 500 series HB's

I use the mark 4x and I use the 1.5 sail mast. I only my fish finder for structure, depth and temp. Contrary to what is said above I can see it fine and it works great from that position. Try it. It's never in the way when trying to land big fish like when I had it on the rail or if I have to paddle.